My wife who is now 62 years of age intiially had Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation of the Sub-thalmic nucleus in October 2009 for tremor predominant parkinsons. (without stimulation her tremor is extreme in all limbs, although currently she experiences few other parkinsonian symptoms).
in October 2012, due to 'complications' during a routine replacement of her IPG, her nuero-surgeon also found it necessary to relace the left electrode,
As a consequence of further negative issues arising from the above procedures ( 3 in total) it became necessary to seek a second opinion from the leading Professor in this field, who after examining her scans, found that the left electrode is 'high and lateral'. Despite this the left electrode has not been repositioned and with stimulation the tremor is fully contolled.
However since the replacement of the left electrode in 2012 and despite numerous programming sessions my wife experiences frequent bouts of nausea (at least once a week) and also (daily) the sudden onset of periods where her whole body is 'sweating' for anything between several minutes to several hours. In addition replacement of this electrode has had a negative impact upon her speech.She did not experience these symptoms prior to the incorrect replacement/repositioning of the left electrode in October 2012.
In your experience have you seen similar problems arising from the incorrect positioning of an electrode?
I am aware that in DBS the precise positioning of the electrodes is crucial in achieving the optimal clinical outcome and would appreciate your comments
Thank You Robert Cartman